Princess Strawberry
by Kurosaki no Otome
Summary: The revised edition of 'Saving the Berry'. Summary inside. Rating subject to change.
1. Gense Again

**Title: **Princess Strawberry

**Universe:** Bleach

**Disclaimer:** Bleach is owned by Kubo Tite-sama. I only own a copy of all the **English** volumes (1-40).

**Summary:** After storming the Seireitei and stopping a false execution, Ichigo recovers and goes home to a semi-normal life once more. But with the War with Aizen approaching and a new group hounding for her to be recruited within their ranks, a normal life is not on the list of things that will happen in the carrot-top's future. Not even the fact that her father was the captain of the Royal Guard and her mother was the Rei-Hime. What's a Princess Strawberry to do?

**Relationships:** **Slash–** Byakuya/fem!Ichigo, Grimmjow/Ichigo, Renji/Rukia, Uryū/Orihime, Ulquiorra/Orihime; **One-sided–** Aizen/Ichigo, Shirosaki/Ichigo

**Warnings:** It's a female Ichigo slash, what do you think? The most-common thing a Bleach fanfiction writer hates most: menstrual cycle. Don't know what that is? Girls, you'll find out soon if you haven't had it already. Boys, I pity you when you have a girlfriend and it's that time.

**Author's Note:** Yes. This is the revised version of 'Saving the Berry'! Finally, right? But, being in High School put a damper on my writing, so I could only write on the weekends, assuming I didn't have any projects to do first, my friends didn't want to hang out, my guy friends weren't calling me every few seconds to check up on me; you get the point, right? Well, since it's summer, I thought I'd get a move on and start posting while I have the chance! So, yeah. Onwards to the newly revised story! Complete with an actual plot! Go me!

* * *

**0. Gense Again**

Ichigo's eyes fluttered open, and quickly shut at the amount of light within the room. A low groan followed soon after, and the orangette raised an arm to lay over her eyes. The smell of disinfectant burned at the inside of her nose; she ignored it, however, since she was used to the scent because her house was connected to a _clinic_.

She huffed in irritation and slowly opened her eyes, mindful of the bright light bouncing off the white walls, and looked around at her designated room in the Yon-bantai. An empty chair in the corner, obviously unused thus far. The bed she was laying in. The pure white, clean walls. Wooden floors. And absolutely devoid of any other presence besides her own. She was alone.

_She **hated** being alone._

Pushing herself up, she winced at the pain she felt within her midriff. She shifted and sighed in relief when the pain lessened, and stood up shakily. Bracing herself against the wall, she made her way over to the door, ignoring the way her legs wobbled with every step. On the other side of the door was people, which meant the loneliness she felt at the moment would go away soon.

Just as she reached the sliding paper door, it opened and her knees buckled out from under her, and bandage covered arms steadied her. The white yukata she clutched in her hands told her the one holding her was also a temporary resident of the Sōgō Kyūgo Tsumesho* after those captains abandoned the Seireitei. She looked up to thank the one keeping her upright, and gasped.

Kuchiki Byakuya, the Roku-bantai Taichō and 28th head of the Kuchiki Family, stood tall like the noble he was. His sleek, black hair fell across his face neatly without the help of his kenseikan. His scarf was also missing, and he had bandages all over. Wrapped around his head, around his arms, and, without a doubt, underneath his clothing as well.

He was the one to break the silence between them. "Kurosaki Ichigo," he started, looking down at the girl clutching at his clothes coldly, "You should not be up, stupid girl." She gulped and moved to pull away, skin rapidly paling as the pain in her abdomen came back with a vengeance. Unconsciously, she grasped at the cloth covering the source of her discomfort, something Byakuya quickly took note of.

With a sigh, he gently lead the teenager back to the bed. In all honesty, after seeing the girl bleeding out nearly bisected on Sōkyoku Hill, he didn't think the girl would ever walk again. But, then again, the girl's friend – Inoue, if he remembered correctly (which he always did, but that's besides the point) – had some kind of mysterious power.

The orangette collapsed onto the bed gracelessly, taking deep breaths to get past the worst of her pain. With a groan, she opened her eyes – when had she closed them in the first place? – and stared at the Kuchiki noble. "How's Rukia?" she asked, wincing at a terrible wave of pain. Byakuya pulled over the chair and sat down, his posture straight even in the uncomfortable-looking chair. His right arm clutched at his left side, and it took her a few, slow moments to realize it was an unconscious movement in a flashback to when he first got the injury. She knew firsthand the amount of power behind Ichimaru Gin's Zanpakutō, Shinsō. She couldn't imagine having that power pierce through skin and muscle and other important organs within the body. And this man had saved his sister from such a fate.

"She is fine." the man intoned, removing his hand from his side. "She is back in her room here in the Yon-bantai Healing Station." Ichigo blinked and pushed herself up, grimacing in pain. "What are you doing?" The orangette ignored his question and stood up from the bed once more, scowling her usual scowl. "Kurosaki Ichigo, you are a stupid, foolish girl if you think you can get to the door once more in your condition." With the challenge in mind, Ichigo stood up taller, ignored the quivering of her still recovering body, and marched over to the door like nothing was wrong.

Byakuya no longer sat in the chair, instead standing next to it to watch the strong-willed woman walk across the room, touch the door and smirk back at him, and then crumble to the floor once more. He sighed and walked over to the girl, and picked her up off the floor. His eyes widened slightly at how light she was, and how picking her up hadn't caused him any pain like he had expected. But, three days spent unconscious without food will do that to a person.

Her eyes were closed and her hands gripped his shoulders gently. "You are still recovering, stupid girl." the noble sighed, exasperated, as he walked back over to the bed and carefully placed the girl down on the bed. Her hand slipped to his wrist, and clutched at his hand none-too-gently, forcing him to stay. Her eyes opened a fraction, and she smiled when she saw him take a seat once more. With that, her eyes slipped close once more and she slipped back into the warm darkness called sleep.

At least she wasn't alone anymore.

* * *

It took four days before Unohana-Taichō signed the release forms for the carrot-top to leave the Sōgō Kyūgo Tsumesho. With nothing to do, she wandered around the Seireitei with no destination in mind. Eventually, she found herself in front of the Jūichi-bantai, just as one of the squad members got thrown from the indoor training room.

She heard Ikkaku screaming at the squad members, and she snickered, climbing into the room via the large hole the squad member had made and called out to the bald-headed man. "How lame." she snorted, looking around at the terrified faces of the Jūichi-bantai members. "Hey Ikkaku! Do you know where I can find Yumichika?"

Ikkaku looked over at her in surprise, blinking a bit before responding. "He's off somewhere." Then, he got a suspicious look in his eyes. "Why?"

Ichigo shrugged and tugged at the ends of her orange hair that reached her upper back even though the stands were tied up. "Besides my sister, he's the only one I know who has enough experience with hair, and I need this mop brushed out." At the mention of brushing hair, the feather-wearing raven appeared out of nowhere, pulling off the ribbon holding her hair up.

"You want me to deal with such an ugly mess of hair?" the man scoffed, spinning the teenager around. "Why would I ever want to?"

Ichigo hid a smirk behind her usual scowl and started to mess with her hair. "Well, if you think you can't turn this mess into something beautiful, tell me next time so I don't get my hopes up." With a sigh, she turned back around and pretended to leave, smirking at Ikkaku when the feminine male called out for her to wait.

"My expertise can tackle any ugly mess. I'll show you, Kurosaki Ichigo! I will turn that mess you can hair into a true beauty worthy of my sight!" Ikkaku shook his head as the girl was dragged away. She was a goner in the face of 'Beautician Yumi'.

Just then, Kenpachi opened the door as Yumichika pulled Ichigo away. "Yo, Ichigo!" The orangette looked up at the monster of a man and blinked, throwing out a quick,

"Hey Kenpachi!" before she was pulled around the corner. Kenpachi blinked and Yachiru giggled, waving at the spot Ichigo disappeared behind.

"What was that about?" The Jūichi-bantai Taichō asked his third seat. Ikkaku shook his head sadly.

"You don't want to know."

* * *

Ichigo winced as Yumichika ran the tight comb through her hair one last time and rolled the last curler all the way up to her scalp. She sighed in relief for the brief reprieve of pain. Each time she complained, Yumichika chided her by saying, "Beauty comes at the price of pain."

'Beautician Yumi', as she had been told to call him, had watered her down and scrubbed her clean of the 'hospital smell' that stuck to her skin. After that, he had waxed her body of all hair that had grown in the two weeks she had been in the Soul Society without a razor at hand, an embarrassing and painful thing she never wanted to go through ever again. Then, he had combed out and put her hair up in the curlers while he set a well condensed _Shakkahō_ to float above her head to 'blow-dry' her hair while he did her make-up.

When he finally finished painting her face, he dispelled the Kidō and took out the curlers. He held a mirror up to show her her 'beauty' and then explained that he hadn't needed to use much make-up on her since her skin was flawless (_"What kind of products do you use on your face?"_ he had asked, to which she replied tightly, _"None."_) and it was only her lack of proper care that detracted from her natural beauty.

And, finally, she was released to show off her newly-found beauty to all of the Seireitei. People were staring at her as she walked down a not-quite-crowded road. Yumichika had given her a simple yukata to wear since the Shinigami garbs she wore were ragged and over-used.

"Ichigo-chan!" she heard and turned around to see a normally clothed Orihime clutching her knees and panting as if she had run all over the Seireitei. What she said next proved that thought to be true. "I can't find Kuchiki-san anywhere in the city!" Ichigo's eyes widened and she shot towards the one person who would know where Rukia was at all times. _Byakuya_. And, in her thoughts, she added, _'And Renji.'_

* * *

Climbing up three stories to Byakuya's room was not a smart idea. Her stomach could attest to that, as it protested the rigorous movements vehemently. She pulled herself up and over the open window sill, and when she saw red, "Renji!" spilled from her lips before she could stop it. Her newly curled hair flew forward before settling back in place.

The redhead stood and pressed his forehead against hers, screaming at her in his loud voice, unknowingly pressing Ichigo's abdomen farther into the window sill. She winced, something Renji noticed being so close to her face. "What's wrong?" he asked, not knowing that her week-old wound still hadn't healed fully, despite Orihime's healing power.

"Nothing. Do either of you know where Rukia is?" she asked, directing her attention over to Byakuya, who had chosen to stay within the confines of the Sōgō Kyūgo Tsumesho. Renji started to freak out, when Byakuya held up his hand for silence.

"She had some personal business to attend to." the Kuchiki noble grumbled, silently angry at the fact the girl was climbing up the side of a building when she had only just gotten out of the 'hospital'.

Orihime huffed as she appeared next to the orange-haired girl. "Ichigo-chan! It's dangerous to climb up to a third story window!" Ichigo shrugged and waved to the two within the room.

"Whatever. See you Byakuya, Renji. Sorry to be a bother." and with that, she dropped down to the ground, Orihime following soon after, and started running in the direction of the West Rukongai. She had a feeling she knew where Rukia was.

* * *

When she had gotten to the Shiba household, Rukia was holding her nose with blood dripping down her face. She smiled and walked up to the midget of a girl. "Turns out they're going to be opening a gate for us tomorrow, so you should rest in preparation for tomorrow!" Rukia turned around and looked at her feet.

"About that…" She looked up guiltily, her hand coming up to rub at her head. "I've decided I'm going to stay in the Soul Society." Ichigo blinked, the breeze from the dying sun ruffling her hair and clothes. In a flash, she had her arm wrapped around the smaller girl's neck and rubbed her knuckles into the girl's head.

"I come all the way into the afterlife to save you from certain death, fight your monkey of a lover–"

Rukia's cry of, "He's not my lover!" went ignored.

"–almost get disemboweled by a hulking monster of a man, learn Bankai in two days, fight your prick of a brother to a stalemate, and nearly get **bisected** by a psycho who thinks he can make himself a God, only to find out you want to stay with the very same people who were so set on killing you? Granted, that white-haired Taichō and his pink-kimono wearing friend did destroy that phoenix-bird thing… But still! My point still stands!"

With a groan, Rukia elbowed the other girl in the stomach and felt the orangette let go of her. Angrily, she spun around to yell at her friend only to find the girl looking pale and clutching to her stomach. Something wasn't right. Usually when Rukia hit Ichigo, the other girl yelled at her and started up another screaming match.

"_-and nearly get **bisected** by a psycho who thinks he can make himself a God–!"_

Rukia swallowed thickly. "I-Ichigo?" She lay a hand over the other girl's, feeling it tremble. "…It still hurts?" she asked, watching for any sign of agreement or not. Sunset locks shifted again with the wind, showing the well-hidden look of pain in caramel colored eyes.

Rukia was startled out of her worry for the girl when she started speaking once more. "If that's what you've decided…" Ichigo sighed, straightening up after the phantom pain dissolved, "As long as it was by your free will, I can do nothing but go back home without you." She looked to her friend as of two and a half months ago, and smiled at the smaller girl. "I guess it's a good thing that you want to stay here. To me, that means I…"

_'I remember. The reason I wanted to save you so bad…'_

* * *

They stood in front of the Senkaimon*, the four teenage human Ryoka and the were-cat. All the available Taichō and Fukutaichō stood in lines, watching the departure of the only Ryoka to survive. Ichigo looked back at the Taichō as the Kidō Corps started to open the giant doors. Rukia stood between her brother and his Fukutaichō, the raven-haired man out of the Yon-bantai.

The doors opened with a blinding flash of white light, and the Kidō Corps Commander started explain how they had installed a Reishi Henkan-Ki* just for the occasion. Ishida, Orihime, and Sado started towards the gate with Yoruichi in tow. The white-haired Taichō, known to Ichigo now as Ukitake Jūshirō, called out to the girl, a folded up piece of cloth in his hands.

"Ichigo-san, please wait a moment." The group ahead of the two stopped and turned at the sound of their final member's name being called. Ichigo turned to the older Shinigami, blinking confusedly at him as he handed her the cloth.

"What is it?" she asked, unfolding the cloth to find a wooden charm within. It fit into the palm of her hand comfortably, despite its pentagonal shape. Carved out of the front was a skull that looked eerily similar to a mask of a Hollow with a black 'X' behind it. She looked up to the Taichō, waiting for her answer.

"It's the Seal of Approval for Acting Shinigami. Here in the Soul Society, we have rules for when an acting Shinigami appears. If we find that they are beneficial to the Seireitei, we give them the Seal of Approval." the man explained. He set a hand on the girl's shoulder and smiled at her. "Since it is a Spiritual Item, regular humans can't see, hear, or touch it. We wouldn't want it to fall into the wrong hands."

Ichigo looked back down at the charm- excuse me, Seal of Approval. Flipping it over in her hands, she asked, "What does it do?" Something felt different as she held it, but she couldn't put her finger on the feeling. Ukitake ruffled her still-curled hair and elaborated on the subject.

"The Seal of Approval has many different uses. I suggest you keep it on your person at all times in case a situation comes up and you can't get there in time without it." Ichigo nodded, and left to say her 'Good-byes' to Rukia.

* * *

**September 1, 2003.**

**8:23 pm**

"I can't take it anymore!" Ichigo looked over at the Kaizō Konpaku* that was jumping around her room, restless. She scoffed and returned to reading her favorite Shakespearean play, 'Hamlet'. The Kaizō Konpaku continued to whine and eventually jumped onto the Shinigami-Daikō's lap. "Come on, please! I miss the feel of a woman's soft, smooth, and silky skin! I just-"

"No. Now shut up before Yuzu hears you." The Kaizō Konpaku huffed and tears started leaking from its beady, little eyes.

"Being in your body was bearable, but now you've begun to abuse my stuffed self! I could pretend I was defiling a beautiful woman while I squeezed soft, squishy breasts and pleasured the body of a lonely sixteen year old girl!" With a growl, the orange-haired girl grabbed the stuffed animal/Kaizō Konpaku.

"You better not have been doing… _that_ when I let you use my body. I swear to god, Kon, if you were-"

"**Horō! Horō!"**

Ichigo groaned and grabbed the Seal. "The thing never shuts up!" With a sigh, she pressed the Seal to her chest. She reluctantly put the Kaizō Konpaku in her body and jumped out her bedroom window.

* * *

***Sōgō Kyūgo Tsumesho:** "Station Where Running Water Joins Together To Give Aide." In other words, the Yon-bantai (4th Division) Healing Station.

***Senkaimon:** The dimensional gateway which Shinigami use to enter and leave the Soul Society.

***Reishi Henkan-Ki****:** Spirit particle conversion machine.

***Kaizō Konpaku:** Modified Souls.


	2. Princess Deathberry

**Title: **Strawberry Princess

**Universe:** Bleach

**Disclaimer:** Bleach is owned by Kubo Tite-sama. I only own a copy of all the **English** volumes.

**Chapter Summary:** Aizen has defected the Shinigami ranks, leaving the Seireitei in shambles at the loss of three of their highest ranking officers. Ichigo and company head home after two weeks in the Soul Society, returning to their 'normal' lives. With a new student setting his eyes on the Ryoka leader, what will the group do when a new kind of Hollow shows up? What's a Princess Strawberry to do when she has a problematic Hollow inside her mind, trying to take control of her?

**Relationships:** **Slash–** Byakuya/fem!Ichigo, Grimmjow/Ichigo, Renji/Rukia, Uryū/Orihime, Ulquiorra/Orihime; **One-sided–** Aizen/Ichigo, Shirosaki/Ichigo

**Warnings:** It's a female Ichigo slash, what do you think? The most-common thing a Bleach fanfiction writer hates most: menstrual cycle. Don't know what that is? Girls, you'll find out soon if you haven't had it already. Boys, I pity you when you have a girlfriend and it's that time.

**Authoress Note:** Sorry this is so late you guys! I promised I would have this out as soon as I finished the third chapter, but I got addicted to this one website and haven't even thought about typing out the third chapter. So, I'm going to go ahead and post this for you guys without finishing the third chapter. Somehow, I don't think this is going to work out right, but I'll get ahead when I can. -sigh- Also, school has been kicking my ass lately, as I stupidly took an AP class. So, without further ado, I give you the true **Chapter One** of **Princess Strawberry**

**1. Princess Deathberry**

He appeared before her like some other worldly spirit. In a way, unknown to her, he was. As an ex-Shinigami Taichō, Hirako Shinji had the skills and stealth to sneak up behind someone when they were unaware. It helped that, while easier to do so in reishi*-based worlds like the Soul Society or Hueco Mundo, Shinigami could gain traction on the air by gathering reishi underneath their feet.

In all thoughts of the word, Hirako Shinji was, in fact, some kind of ninja.

But Ichigo didn't know that. No, all she knew was that Hirako was the 'new kid' in her class. The guy who had blond hair that reached just below his ears and was cut in a sort of bob. The guy who had a wide mouth with a piano-teeth smile. The guy who had a gauge-like tongue piercing. The guy who was weird enough to write his name backwards on the chalkboard when introducing himself to her class that very morning.

So of course she was surprised, and even suspicious, when he stepped down to the roof of the building she was on like he was going down a flight of stairs, katana drawn like second nature while that infuriating wide-mouthed smile of his seemed to grow wider with each step.

What was even more baffling was that he was still in his school uniform, the grey slacks and white button-down shirt of Karakura High, even though school had been over for a good four or five hours.

Ignoring her last few thoughts, she turned to face him and barely had any time to bring Zangetsu up to block the sudden strike. "What the hell?! Hirako?" she gasped, pushing back on the blade, the blond in front of her grinning down at her. Her midriff protested greatly as she was bent back by the force put behind the swing. "Son of a– ugh!" Hirako put more pressure on his katana, bending the orangette back even more. With a flick of his wrist, Zangetsu was pushed to the side, allowing the blond to get in the orangette's personal space.

He grabbed her sword arm to stop her from moving away and leaned up close to her face. "So noisy, aren't you?" he chuckled, raising her arm up above their heads. "Don't make a ruckus like that, Kurosaki Ichigo. You'll attract unwanted attention that way."

With an irritated growl, the orangette punched out with her free hand. "Get out of my face, you lying son of a bitch!" Hirako jumped back to avoid the hit, his piano grin still on his face.

Ichigo scowled and brought Zangetsu down in front of her, getting back into her 'ready' stance. "Now, now. Getting angry like that isn't good for you. You'll be found out if you continue to broadcast your reiatsu like that."

"What do you mean by that?" she huffed, lowering her guard temporarily. "'Be found out'? By who?"

His smile dropped, and his eyes gained a serious glint to them. "You have to ask me who? I'm not your babysitter, so figure it out for yourself!" As he said that, a burst of foreign reiatsu flooded over them. Hirako sighed and turned his head towards the place the reiatsu originated from. "Too late. They're here."

Ichigo scowled at the other, her brown eyes narrowing in distrust. "Why are you here, Hirako?" she growled, bringing Zangetsu back in front of her. The blond hummed a little, looking back over to the orangette below him.

"I'd hate to say 'I told you so,' but I _did_ tell you _they_ would find you, and they did!"

"I don't care about that!" she shouted, glaring at the man. "I want to know why you are here!"

Hirako sighed, curling his hand over his hairline. "You really care that much about why I'm here? Fine, let me show you." His dragged his hand down over his face, a white mask forming over half his face. His face slit into a piano-teeth grin, half of it covered by the mask.

Ichigo's eyes widened, and her guard dropped permanently. Zangetsu was stabbed into the rooftop shingles, dropping from his wielder's hand. "You– you have a Hollow's Mask?"

"And a Zanpakutō." Hirako hummed, smiling down at the teen. "I'm like you. I'm a Shinigami that has crossed over into the domain of the Hollows. We're known as the Vizard." He held his mask in the crook of his arm, having removed it as he spoke. "You should join us, Ichigo. You don't belong with _Them_." Another wave of powerful reiatsu crashed over them, causing both of their eyes to widen.

"That reiatsu..." Ichigo gasped quietly. Shooting up into the sky, she breezed past the stunned blond, gaining traction on the air when he called out to her in disbelief. "Shut up, Hirako! I've heard enough out of you!" she growled, glaring down at him. "I'm not joining you! I don't care who you 'Vizard' are, but I want no part of it!" With a nearly inaudible hiss of pain, the orangette twisted around and shunpoed towards the foreign reiatsu as fast as she could. _It couldn't be him…– He can't–_

She hadn't made it to the source of the reiatsu in time. Instead, she had found the Kaizō Konpaku reclining back on the asphalt. He had refused to tell her who the reiatsu belonged to.

Two days later, she's sitting in class with her foot resting on the edge of her desk chair. The school day hadn't started yet, but most of the class was present already. Even Hirako had come to school and greeted her like nothing happened.

She scowled and ignored him the entire time. For the most part. Until he hugged Orihime and cause both of the class perverts to growl in anger. She glared at him and stood, tilting her head down so her bangs hid her expression. She sashayed over to him and looked up at him with a smile that read 'You're gonna die'. Anyone watching the scene backed up against the wall, shaking in fright at her smile. "E'scuse me, Hirako-kun. May I have a word with you outside for a second?" Without waiting for an answer, she grabbed his uniform shirt and yanked him behind her, her jaw tightening in irritation.

Stepping out into the empty hallway, she slammed the blond's front into the wall, holding him in place with his arm twisted behind his back. "A-ah, Ichigo-chan! W-what're you–?"

"Cut the act, Hirako." she snarled, tightening her hold on the other. "I don't care if you keep trying to get me to going your little group, but I'll be damned if I let you touch any of my friends like you've known them forever."

"N-now, Ichigo-chan, think about what–"

She growled low in her throat, twisting the blond's arm behind his back even more. "This isn't up for debate, Hirako! Stay away from my friends and I, and I won't kick your ass." she leaned forward, growling in his ear. "After all, you're just a normal school boy here on school grounds. Getting into a fight with you here where there are _plenty_ of spiritually-sensitive teenagers would end in my favor because of my nasty reputation to hospitalize guys for any reason." She let him go and backed up a step, glaring at the blond. "Like I said, stay away from me and my friends."

She turned around to head back to their class, seething at the other. She was stopped by his voice calling out to her. "You know, they might be your friends now, but what about when you're consumed by the Hollow inside you? Your power will be used against everything you love. Your family, your friends, and even yourself. Everything will be destroyed." She glanced over her shoulder at him, a scowl set firmly in place on her face. "You've noticed it, right? How the Hollow gets stronger every moment you don't tame it? If you join us, I'll teach you how to control it."

She bit her lip, her eyes turning away from the blond. He was right. She had felt the Hollow inside getting stronger by the millisecond. Angry tears pooled in her eyes at the thought of the Hollow destroying everything she held dear to her heart. In anger she snapped, "Go suck a dick!" and continued on her way to class.

She ignored everything for the rest of the day, innately taking notes on the class subjects for that day before packing up her to go home. She ignored Hirako and his ever-knowing smile and walked out of the classroom, not hearing her friends worried cries after her.

When she got home, she was so out of it she didn't dodge her father's 'Fatherly Elbow Attack of Love' and slammed against the floor by the stairs. Shocked, her little sisters ran over to her. Yuzu helped her up from the floor and brushed her little hand against the red mark that bloomed over her jaw. She stood when the attention was directed towards her father and his idiotic speech, and made her way upstairs unnoticed. "I'll be in my room until dinner." she murmured quietly, not expecting anyone to hear her.

She slammed her door, not caring that it made the walls shake from the force. Kon pulled himself out of the dresser drawer, spouting nonsense and stuttering over his words. She lay face down on her bed, her head tilted so she could stare out the window. "Is something wrong?" she heard the Mod-soul ask.

"No. Nothing at all." the soul-inhabited doll scoffed and left the room, leaving her to wallow in self-pity. She sighed and buried her face in her pillow.

"_**Ai…– ou…!"**_ It was just a whisper, but the sound still sent a shiver down her spine. _**"Ai… bou…!"**_ It was getting louder. The voice continued to call to her. _**"Aibou…!"**_

"_What do you want with me?" _There was a knock on her door, and Karin peered into her room from the doorway. "Ichi-nii… Can I talk to you about something?"

She sat up and turned toward her sister, inhaling quietly as a sharp pain shot through her midriff. "What is it Karin? You know you can talk to me about anything–"

"What are you thinking?" Ichigo blinked at the question, and began to chuckle lightly.

"Well, I'm thinking about a lot of things so you're going to have to be a little more–"

"I know." She looked up at the younger girl, confused.

"Karin, what do you me–?"

"I know… that Ichi-nee is a Shinigami!"

Ichigo's eyes widened, her breathing shuttering to a stop. "Wha–?" Covering her slip quickly, she started to laugh hysterically. "What are you talking about, Karin? A Shinigami? That's impossible!" She continued to laugh awkwardly.

"Stop acting like Otō-san." the ravenette glared at her orange-haired sister, her hands clenching into fists. "I saw you. Back when Kanonji was in town. You–!" The girl was interrupted by a cresting wave of energy, choking her words from her mouth. Ichigo stood and reached towards her combat pass, only to be stopped by Karin grabbing her uniform sleeve. "Where are you going, Ichi-nee?!"

She glanced at the younger girl, seeing her watery brown eyes before turning away and lunging for her badge. "I'm sorry, Karin." she sighed, pressing the badge to her chest. She jumped up onto the window ledge, keeping her back to the other girl. "I'll tell you later." With that, she jumped out the window and disappeared from sight.

She was running as fast as she could, quicker with the help of flash-step. She could feel the Hollows, and she could feel a few of her friends in the same vicinity as the Hollows. Her eyes narrowed and she pushed to go faster. She had no doubt that if Karin could see her in her Shinigami form, her other friends could too. The park came into sight, the dead bodies of random people who had come to investigate everywhere. She heard someone give the order to kill, and drew Zangetsu quickly, shunpoing in front of the only human standing. Orihime. Her Sōten Kisshun was over Chado's right arm, reversing the damage done to him at a slow rate.

She ignored the giant human-like Hollow before her, and glanced over at the carnage around her. "I was late. Sorry, 'Hime." She saw Tatsuki and Chado lying near one another, both unconscious. "But that doesn't matter," she looked back at the Hollows, "I'm here now."

Without hesitation, she slapped her hand to her forearm, head bowing as she focused her power into her sword. When it became too much for her to handle, she called out, **"Ban-KAI!"**

Her reiatsu burst out of the sword before condensing around her, spiraling up into the sky before collapsing into the center and forming her Bankai outfit. The top was skin tight and open in the front, showing off her cleavage much like that one lieutenant's had done, Matsumoto, she believed. It closed over the top part of her abdomen, reopening outwards right above her naval and flowing down to her ankles like some sort of gown or cloak. Her hakama pants didn't change, still loosely fitted and settling low on her hips, held up by a white sash.

The most dramatic change about her had to be her sword. It was an over-sized kitchen knife no longer. Instead, it was a long, pitch black Daitō with a Manji guard and a severed chain connected to the end of the hilt. She schooled her features as the dust and dirt picked up by her release settled, the dark voice whispering in her mind cackling in glee at the prospect of a good fight.

Even to herself, her reiatsu felt different, darker. _"Is it because of you?"_ she wondered to the entity within her mind. His cackling grew quiet, and colorless eyes surrounded by black glinted in her mind. _**"What do ya' think, Aibou-chan?"**_ She held back a shudder at the whispered voice, her own gaze hardening on the task at hand. _"Right."_

"'Hime... Get away from me." she commanded, keeping her back to the other girl. She heard the brunette murmur an affirmative under her breath before the crunching of dried grass and leaves sounded of the girl's retreat.

"Oi, Ulquiorra… is this bitch...?" Her eyes narrowed at the explicative, the tall beast of a man's voice booming out. The smaller male, however, was soft-spoken, his words only loud enough for his partner to hear.

"_**Ya' can feel it, can't ya'? How strong they are?"**_ It surprised her with how soft his voice was within that moment, the watery tone calmed to a slight warble. _"Yeah, they're strong alright…"_

Distracted by the conversation within her head, her arm came up to block the giant's blow with her blade. Her eyes darted back to her long-time friend, taking in Orihime's healing shield around his shredded arm. _"They completely tore apart Chado's arm."_ The Hollow chittered in her mind, peering forward through her eyes. He let out a low whistle. _**"Wha'chya gonna do 'bout that?"**_

Turning her attention back to the giant male, she glared up at him from behind her fringe. "You're going to pay for ripping apart Chado's arm." The guy's eyes widened, and he drew his arm back as she moved, jumping over his head and slashing Tensa Zangetsu right through the skin and muscle of his right arm. She landed in a crouch behind him, spring up from the ground to avoid his second arm.

In a flurry of dodges and swipes, she managed to score two slashes on his left arm, one on his right thigh, and another on the side of his head. Dark red blood dripped to the ground, staining the dirt of the crater with spiritual wounds.

"Y-You little shit…" he growled, chest heaving with pained, angry breaths. Ichigo hummed at the insult, flicking the blood off of her precious sword's metal and resting it against her shoulder.

"He's a sturdy one…" she commented aloud, fighting back a smirk as the creature within her soul cackled with endless mirth.

"-necessary- -Zanpakutō against- -her?" What words she could here from the other caught her attention, her amber eyes darting to the beast's remaining hand that was tightly clenching the hilt of a sword.

"_That's… a Zanpakutō?!"_ Frantically, she focused her attention inward, prodding at her Hollow (who was, admittedly, better at sensing things than she was,) for confirmation. When it was given, her eyes darted back to the beast's form, taking in the broken mask fragment, and the Hollow's hole. _"They… are they like Hirako? Like me?"_

"_**Pay attention, Aibou-chan!"**_ The Hollow within her soul surged forward, dimming her vision as he fought to take control of her mind. _"Stop! W-What are you doing?! I'm in the middle of a fight!"_ Her hand reached up to her face, checking to make sure that the mask hadn't appeared. His presence pushed against her consciousness once more, her vision blackening at the edges.

She grunted as a rather large foot impacted her jaw, the momentum twisting her body in an uncomfortable way that irritated the reiatsu-infused wound she still had. She cried out in pain, snapping at her busty friend to stay back. Her warning came too late as the girl was smacked away, landing in the grass with a terrible thud.

The Hollow's fist came down on the back of her head, making her vision blur more than before and her knees shake. _"Why won't you let me move?"_ There was the sound of flesh impacting a reishi shield, her mind uncomprehending that it hadn't been who she thought it was.

With the onslaught to her body stopped, she looked up at her savior as he re-used her line, her blurry vision just enough to make out his dark colored coat and brightly striped hat. Urahara stood in front of her, Yoruichi at his side as they shielded her from the Hollows' sight.

"Kisu-…" she murmured, kneeling on the ground behind the pair.

The shop keeper turned his head and smiled back at her, his lovable fan gone from his hand. "Don't worry yourself too much, Kuro-hime~" he chimed, using that- why did he call her that? "We'll take it from here."

As he reassured her that everything would be taken care of, Yoruichi was in the background, beating on the Hollow that did this to her.

She blacked out after he disappeared from in front of her to shield Yoruichi and Orihime from a cero.

***Reishi- Spirit Particles**

_**PLEASE PAY ATTENTION TO THIS!**_

a1b2c3d4e5f6g7h8i9j0k1l2m3n4o5p6q7r8s9t0u1v2w3x4y5 z6a7b8c9d0e1f2g3h4i5j6k7l8m9n0o1p2q3r4s5t6u7v8w9x0 y1z2a3b4c5d6e7f8g9h0i1j2k3l4m5n6o7p8q9r0s1t2u3v4w5 x6y7z8a9b0c1d2e3f4g5h6i7j8k9l0m1n2o3p4q5r6s7t8u9v0 w1x2y3z4a5b6c7d8e9f0g1h2i3j4k5l6m7n8o9p0q1r2s3t4u5 v6w7x8y9z0

A1B2C3D4E5F6G7H8I9J0K1L2M3N4O5P6Q7R8S9T0U1V2W3X4Y5 Z6A7B8C9D0E1F2G3H4I5J6K7L8M9N0O1P2Q3R4S5T6U7V8W9X0 Y1Z2A3B4C5D6E7F8G9H0I1J2K3L4M5N6O7P8Q9R0S1T2U3V4W5 X6Y7Z8A9B0C1D2E3F4G5H6I7J8K9L0M1N2O3P4Q5R6S7T8U9V0 W1X2Y3Z4A5B6C7D8E9F0G1H2I3J4K5L6M7N8O9P0Q1R2S3T4U5 V6W7X8Y9Z0

**I need you guys to help me figure something out. Don't ask me what it is, just help me do it. Up above is a jumble of numbers and letters: one set is in lower case, and one set is in upper case. I need you to tell me what number/letter combination is at the very end of the line for each set and what number/letter combination begins the next line.**

**Example:**

lower case line: bo/c1  
upper case line: P8/Q9

(Whatever else you want to put in your review. Tell me how stupid you thought this thing was, ask how is it going to help me, tell me what you thought of the chapter, so on and so forth, etc.)

_**Thanks, so much!**_

_**Kurosaki's Girl**_


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